Two years on: A timeline of key events in Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a plan aimed at halting the war in Gaza – or at least paving the way for coexistence.

Although the plan remains vague at this stage, both parties have endorsed the overall principles. It has also received backing from Arab and Western nations. Experts say the proposal brings the two sides closer than at any time in the past two years to halting the ongoing humanitarian crises in Gaza.

What has happened over the two years? Here's a timeline of key events into the conflict.

-- On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.

-- On October 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a "state of war" and vowed to dismantle Hamas, initiating widespread airstrikes on Gaza.

-- On November 24–December 1, a temporary four-day ceasefire brokered by Qatar and other mediators took effect, briefly pausing hostilities. The ceasefire was extended by two days, with another extension to December 1. During this period, more than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza, while Israel released 240 Palestinian detainees. Israel's airstrikes on Gaza resumed on December 2 after the ceasefire ended.

-- On December 11, Israel expressed its willingness to negotiate a humanitarian ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases, while Hamas demanded a halt to Israeli military operations before further discussions.

-- On March 31, ceasefire talks resumed in Cairo, with Israeli and Hamas representatives engaging through mediators.

-- On July 21–23, high-level representatives from 14 Palestinian factions held a reconciliation dialogue in Beijing, at China's invitation, signing the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity. The declaration is widely seen as a positive step toward Palestinian national reconciliation, bringing fresh hope to the long-suffering Palestinian people.

-- On July 31, Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, Iran.

-- On August 15–16, a new round of ceasefire negotiations was held in Doha, involving Israel, Qatar, the United States, and Egypt. Mediators described the talks as "constructive," though Hamas criticized the proposals as favoring Israel and prolonging Palestinian suffering.

-- On November 9, Qatar said it had suspended mediation efforts, citing a lack of serious intent from both sides. It stated that talks would resume when conditions were more favorable.

-- On December 7, Qatar announced that momentum for renewed negotiations has returned, leading to the resumption of mediation efforts.

-- On January 15, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire-for-hostages deal set to begin on January 19.

-- On February 22, in their seventh scheduled prisoner-hostage swap, Israel delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees after Hamas released six Israeli captives, marking a significant disruption of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

-- On March 2, Israel blocked all humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

-- On April 17, Hamas said it was ready to immediately begin negotiations on a deal to swap all Israeli hostages with an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.

-- On August 8, Netanyahu's office said in a statement that Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan to take over Gaza City.

-- On September 9, Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike in the Qatari capital of Doha, targeting a building reportedly used by senior Hamas officials, in an attempt to assassinate group leaders. Hamas said its negotiating delegation survived the strike, though six people – including group escorts and a Qatari security officer – were killed.

-- On September 12, the UN General Assembly adopted a draft resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

-- On September 21–22, countries including Britain, Canada, Australia, and France announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, urging progress toward a two-state solution.

-- On September 29, Trump said that Netanyahu had agreed to a 20-point plan proposed by the Trump administration following their talks at the White House.

-- On October 3, Hamas said it submitted its response to regional and international mediators regarding the "20-point plan," agreeing in principle to release all Israeli hostages.